While this is true, no one should have the right to objuct (obstruct?) others desires, the same could be said that no one has the right to have their desires obstruct others. (Directly or indirectly)

My counter will be a simple one, legal or not, Drug culture effects more than just the user. As such, laws and regulations need to be in place to protect those who not only consume drugs, but those who are negatively affected by drugs. (Manufacturing, distributing, consuming, the after mass, and general ignorance of these)

Looking forward to gaining a better understanding of your view Pro, I will attempt to match styles with you so as to make this a fair debate.

And coming to the point,i disagree with your views becuase if drugs are not legalized obviously the price of the drugs will rise which will lead to many problems like robberies,assaults etc.
Whether it is legal or illegal, a person who is addicted to it will not stop taking it. If it is legalized the price will be reduced eventually pushing down the drug dealers,smugglers and organised crime.

No worries, just had to make sure you were not using a term that I was unaware of =D

I see your point, and it is valid for covering (in part) the manufacturing and distribution of narcotics. Like you said tho, "Whether it is legal or illegal, a person who is addicted to it will not stop taking it." be it $50 for a speed ball (sb) or $5, an addict will spend all he has to acquire their high. So what happens with cheaper drugs is basic math. What use to be $50=1sb now looks more like $50= 10sb. However, there will still be theft and assaults regardless of cost. Dealers will be exchanged for pharmacists, such as the methadone project. (http://novusdetox.com...)

Effects not touched on by legalization are: Hospital costs, (people hurting themselves and others under the influence, Overdose, negative results from intake methods. [like meth-mouth and coke-nose] ) Damage (Physically, Mentally, Emotionally) to family members and close friends, the number of new addicts born from the idea that now drugs are legal its safe to use. What happens to the drug dealers and distributers is the same thing that happens when their product is threatened. They create more intense, more harmful version of drugs that offer greater highs (http://science.howstuffworks.com... , http://www.duluthnewstribune.com... , http://www.drugabuse.gov...)

Yes,what you said is somewhat right but it is not completely true. For example, as you said lets take 1speedball= $5(if legal) consider he takes 1sp per day that means 1 month = $150, if illegal 1 speedball = $50 1month= $1500,mostly a person may not prefer more than 1sp per day so a normal person can easily afford for $150 per month and there is no need for theft or anything but if it is illegal there would be more scope for theft.
I am not saying that the thefts wont happen but the rate of thefts will definitely reduce.
Coming to the second point, there should be warning messages on the pack and the health effects and should leave the decision to them. We dont have any right to judge others.

Well said, and your logic is on point so far as it deals with every day consumerism. Unfortunately, it has rarely been the case that recreational drug users or social users have been the main cause of theft or criminal activity.

I am a frontline Social worker dealing with homelessness, addictions, and mental health population. One of the biggest issues with substance use is the overall lack of self-control that addiction creates. Addicts will not see the overall cost per month; they will look at the total amount they can acquire with the funds on hand. When those run out, then they go looking for more funds to get more. this is there cycle of thought. There is no room for reasoning or rationalizing. Higher functioning addicts may see benefits to lower costs, but they are not the ones perpetrating the B&E’s, stealing from retail stores and exchanging goods for drugs. What people need to understand is that people who are drowning in active addiction do not think like rational, regular people. Their chemical, neurological make-up has been twisted by drugs, this is what drugs do. The high achieved is the physiological response to having your brain chemistry altered from normality.

Touching on the warning labels, in theory this is an acceptable practice. Unfortunately, people do not read them. Just look at cigarettes and Alcohol. This brings up a good point; cigarettes and alcohol have been legal for a long time now, and the percentages of harm and new addiction caused by them has not decreased. It’s become common place that young teens, as a rite of passage, go on drinking binges. Even though they are underage. People aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States [1]. In 2012 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 24% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 15% reported binge drinking [2].

In closing, take a look at the number of death caused by Drugs (legal and illegal) [3], now tell me that after making all drugs legal, that these numbers won’t sky rocket. Of those who do not die, the number of hospital visits will increase, taking resources away from studies and care for other patients. Take a look at the effect on the economy just from alcohol alone [4]. Yes I understand that Nobody has a right to obstruct others desires. At the same time, our actions affect more than just ourselves. This is why I feel that the legalization of drugs needs not be. The argument that people will use them anyways is very valid; however, legalizing them will cause the consumption rates to increase, not to mention, it will introduce more people into the culture. People who avoid it at the present moment because it is stigmatized and illegal. Where is their right not the be obstructed by peer pressure or falsified security that it is safe?